Grandmaster of the Sacred Stones
by Luciastis
Summary: In the middle of a continental war a mysterious stranger awakens.
1. Chapter 1

He awoke with a start. His head throbbed and his body felt sore.

There was a buzzing in his mind that he couldn't place. As if something was missing from his memory. Many things in fact, like who he was or even where he was.

Looking around he found himself in a clearing. The area was lightly forested with the sun high in the sky illuminating the area around him.

He sat up and put a hand to his head, as if the clear the fog that covered his mind. Who was he and how did he get here?

Robin…

The name felt familiar, like an old friend and one he felt intimately familiar with. Could that have been his name? If it wasn't then he could deal with it later, it would have to do for now.

Robin stood up gently and looked about his person to get any more information about his situation.

He lifted his arms and inspected the coat he was wearing. The coat was sturdy and seemed to have been well worn. There was patchwork around the seams that indicated that it had been repaired a few times.

In one of the large pockets of the coat he found a book of some kind, thick set and with a green cover. Robin opened the tome hoping to find a clue of some sort but found only words he could not read.

Robin sighed and closed the book after turning to a few more pages and finding more of the same unknown lettering. Was he some sort of traveling scholar of some sort? That would explain the well traveled coat and the strange book.

He looked through his coat some more to see if there was anything else that might give him more information about himself. There seemed to be a great deal of pockets on his coat both on the inside and the outside. He found another tome in his inner pocket, this one smaller than the green book he had found earlier.

The book was labeled "Tactics and Warfare," luckily it seemed as though this book was in a language he could understand. He flipped through the book and found writings on different tactics and their execution. The words seemed strangely familiar to him, as if he had read these lines before.

Robin put the book back in his inner pocket and continued rummaging through his coat pockets. He found a bottle that smelled much like he imagined medicine would, a roll of bandages and scraps of paper that contained drawing of troop movements and strategic maneuvers.

That certainly settled it in his mind. He was some sort of wandering scholar who studied tactical information or he was a tactician. What didn't make sense however was that if he was a tactician, where was his army? Surely a tactician needed someone to give orders to?

He would worry about that later. For now he needed to get moving and maybe find someone to help him figure out where he was. Hopefully he would be able to find some sort of road that would lead to a village.

Robin started walking forward and found that he was on a small hill overlooking a path the wound through the mountains. The path was a road and he hoped it would lead to a village if he followed it.

Further along the path he spotted what looked to be two travelers. One man seemed to be riding a white steed and there was a girl standing next to him. They looked to be chatting as they ambled along the path.

Robin hoped that he would be able to find travelers to talk to and maybe get some information about the lay of the land. They didn't seem to be traveling too fast so he would hopefully be able to catch up to them. He hoped that they didn't decide to start galloping on their horse.

He started lightly jogging towards them down the hill hoping he could catch them.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a group of rough looking men appear on the path. Robin slowed his jog to assess the situation. Could these men be bandits looking to rob the travelers?

His hand moved towards the green tome in his coat pocket almost unconsciously. When his hand touched the spine of the book he pulled it out and gripped it tightly before letting it open in his hand. Green magic seemed to flow from the book in his left and into his right hand.

Robin looked at his hand that glowed a slight green and turned it over back and forth. There was a pressure in his hand just waiting to be released, just waiting to be push out in the direction he willed it.

He held the magic in his hand for a moment longer before letting it dissipate. There was a chance that these men would be friendly and he would have no need to fight. He would wait a moment more to see and crouched slightly behind a nearby tree.

"You there! Renais dogs!" Shouted one of the rough looking men towards the two travelers.

"Grado's men…" The man on horseback cursed and turned his steed to face the oncoming foes. "Stand back, Princess Eirika."

A princess? Could these bandits be looking to kidnap a royal to ransom her to their kingdom? Taking a second look he did notice that the man on horseback looked to be some sort of knight and the woman had a courtly air to her.

"It's all right, Seth." Princess Eirika replied to the man he now knew to be named Seth and readied her rapier. "My brother has taught me something of swordplay. I will stand with you."

The men charged at the pair of travelers with a battle cry.

Seth and Eirika were outnumbered five to two and were quickly split apart. Two of the men engaged Seth hoping their numbers advantage would allow them to defeat the knight.

The rest of the men moved to surround Eirika. Two of the men fought Eirika in an almost careful manner so as to not hurt her. Robin guessed that they wanted to take her alive.

Even outnumbered Eirika seemed to be holding her own and was not holding back. Her nimbleness allowed her to avoid capture and her quick strikes were able to wound the men around her.

Seth seemed to be holding his own but Robin noticed that his sword arm seemed to be a bit sluggish. It was as though he had been injured recently and was fighting through the handicap.

Robin had no doubt that were he at full health he would make quick work of the bandits. As it stood he was still gaining the upper hand even unnumbered as he was.

He turned back to look at Eirika and saw that in the heat of combat she could not see one of the men circling behind her to her blind spot. If he didn't do something Eirika would be captured here and who knows what would be done with her.

Robin readied his tome and felt the power course through his arm.

* * *

Eirika jumped backwards to put some distance between the two men she was fighting. It was at that moment that she realized she had lost track of the third man. She turned her head backwards and saw him charging at her.

She had made a mistake in losing track of one of her enemies. Something her brother told her to never do. Eirika knew she could not let herself be captured but she was not sure how she would get out of this situation. Her enemies had her surrounded and even if she turned to face this enemy she would only be exposing her back once again.

The princess grit her teeth and gripped her rapier tightly. She would not be defeated here, Grado still had to answer for their crimes and she would fight to her dying breath to make sure her people found justice.

It was at that moment that the man behind her was blown off his feet by a magical wind. The man was launched forcefully into the trunk of a tree and bounced back into the solid earth. He did not get back up.

The battle seemed to stop for a moment as everyone looked around to see where the magic had come from.

Eirika looked over to where the blast had come from and found a silver haired man in a large coat standing a small distance away from her battle. He held a tome in his hand with his right arm stretched out and coated with a slight green light.

Time seemed to resume and one of her attackers turned to rush down the man who had saved her. Eirika focused on fighting her remaining opponent and would worry about the newcomer later. Though she was relieved that he didn't seem to be an enemy as he had saved her after all.

The man's axe came down at her with a swipe which she sidestepped before lunging at her foes unprotected side. Her rapier stuck true and drew blood which seemed to only anger the man. He responded with an angry swing of his axe which she jumped backwards to avoid.

She would have to go for a fatal blow it seemed. While she was quicker than her opponent one hit with his weapon would be enough to defeat her. Eirika wished she did not have to kill but she could not surrender here, for the sake of her people.

Eirika waited for the man to make another slash at her and ducked under the swing. Her rapier was already moving when her opponent attacked and she aimed it at the man's lightly armored chest where his heart would be.

Her opponent's movements stopped after that Eirika removed her blade from the man's chest. The man fell to the ground unmoving after a moment more.

The princess looked around and surveyed the area. Seth had defeated his enemies and looked to be none the worse for wear, though he was still injured. The man who had assisted her stood a small distance away, his opponent unconscious on the ground.

He looked at her and gave a shy smile. "Are you alright miss?"

Eirika returned his smile and walked until she was in front of him. "Yes I am. Thank you for your assistance earlier."

"It was my pleasure." He replied.

"My lady!" Seth shouted as he galloped over to the pair. He eyed the man warily but made no move. If the man had wanted to harm them he would have done it during the battle.

He stopped before them and dismounted his horse before addressing the stranger. "I thank you for helping my lady earlier." Seth said gratefully.

"I couldn't stand by and do nothing." Robin said.

"Might we have your name?" Eirika asked curiously.

"My name is Robin." Robin replied. "I was actually hoping I would run into some people, I'm in a bit of a dilemma you see."

Seth narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his words. Would he ask for a reward for helping them?

"What would that be?" Eirika said worriedly.

Robin paused for a moment unsure how to properly convey his problem without sounding like a loon. He decided a straightforward statement would be the best way to go about it.

"I seem to be suffering from some sort of memory loss." Robin began. "Other than my name and magic use I don't seem to remember where I am or how I got here."

"Oh no that's awful. I can't imagine what that would be like." Eirika said.

Eirika thought of how worried she would be if she were to wake up in an unknown land with no memories. Especially now during these dangerous times. Her own kingdom under attack, her brother missing and her father. She hoped that he was alright.

"That's quite alright. Thank you for your concern." Robin replied. "I was actually wondering if you may be able to point me in the direction of a village. Maybe I'd be able to find work while I figure out what I should do."

"I'm afraid that may be a bit difficult at the moment." Seth said grimly. "The kingdom of Grado to the south has just declared war on the kingdom of Renais. There will be soldiers everywhere.

"We don't know why Grado attacked but their intentions cannot be trusted at the moment. I would suggest you head either north or east. To the north is the kingdom of Frelia and to the east is Carcino. You may find a village there, the kingdoms will be on high alert however once they hear of Grado's attack."

"Frelia to the north or Carcino…" Robin repeated slowly thinking of his future plans when Eirika interrupted his thoughts.

"We can't just abandon you here, especially after you helped us out." Eirika said. "We will take him with us Seth."

Eirika knew that there was no way they could leave Robin to fend for himself. With his memory loss he could easily get lost or run into Grado soldiers. He seemed to be able to use magic so maybe they could help each other.

"I wouldn't want to impose." Robin said.

"Nonsense! We are heading to Frelia ourselves, we could travel there together and then you can decide what to do afterwards." Eirika said with a smile.

Seth was a little worried about traveling with the stranger. What if he was some sort of spy sent by Grado to keep watch on them and kidnap the princess at their first opportunity? His story certainly seemed a little fishy but he could not sense any dishonesty in the man.

He would have to keep an eye on him, but for now he would trust him. His assistance was greatly appreciated and princess Eirika seemed to think he was a good person.

"We should get a move on before more soldiers show up." Seth stated.

"Right. Lead the way Seth." Eirika replied.

Robin nodded at the pair and started following them as Seth brought his horse to a slow trot.

"While we travel I can give you a brief overview of the surrounding lands and the kingdoms." Eirika said.

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you Eirika." Robin said as they started moving towards their destination.


	2. Chapter 2

" _You don't have to do this Robin. We can find another way!" The man shouted at him from behind the wall of fire that separated them. With the man were many others who could only watch in disbelief at what was happening._

 _Robin stood before someone who looked exactly like him. The man was covered in a malevolent aura which swirled around him like a protective barrier. He looked up at him on his knees with a look of hatred._

 _The ground was littered with pages from a discarded tome, which all seemed to be dissolving and feeding the massive ball of energy he held in his hands above his head._

" _For once, I'm glad you and I are the same. Now I can give my life to protect those I care for…" Robin said._

" _You wouldn't dare. Doing this will kill you as well," His doppelganger replied._

" _You don't know me very well then. I would sacrifice anything to save my loved ones"_

 _Robin grit his teeth as the last of the pages disappeared into the large orb. The weight of the spell bore down on him and he could feel his fatigue almost overwhelm him. This would be the end for the both of them._

" _Father no! Please don't do this. What about our family. We still have to find mother!" A girl cried from behind the wall of fire._

 _Robin turned to look at the one who shouted and he felt love and warmth fill him at the sight of her. Her hair was disheveled and there was a small bruise on the side of her cheek, nevertheless her strength and determination showed through._

 _He would do this to save everyone but most of all he would do it to save her._

" _I'm sorry we weren't able to find your mother, Morgan," Robin said sadly as he turned back to his foe and brought down the spell that would end everything._

 _A bright light exploded in his vision obscuring everything around him and then there was nothing._

* * *

He felt himself being shaken.

"-obin, it's time to wake up."

Robin groggily opened his eyes and saw Eirika speaking to him, her hand on his shoulder. He shook his head lightly and blinked his eyes rapidly to wake himself up.

"We're near the border of Frelia and we should make it there in an hour or so."

Her words came in clearly that time and Robin made to stand slowly until he was facing Eirika.

He shook the last of his drowsiness away before giving her a nod, which she returned with a smile.

Seth was off to the side checking his horse saddle and making sure it would be ready for travel. They had made camp the last night after walking for a few more hours. Their camp was set up away from the main road so they could remain hidden from more soldiers. Luckily they had not run into any more trouble after the initial battle they had experienced.

He thought about the dream he had been having. Much of the details had disappeared when he had awoken but he could remember a battle. He also remembered the face of a dear loved one, but nothing more.

Robin wondered if that dream was related to his lost memories. He couldn't be sure though and he hoped it would come back to him in time.

Seth led them out to the main road towards the Frelian border where they would hopefully be able to get an audience with the king. Eirika had filled him in yesterday on the different kingdoms within the land of Magvel.

She told him a little about her own kingdom of Renais and how they had been long time allies with Grado before their attack. How her brother was missing in Grado lands and that she hoped to be able to assist him.

"Magvel…" Robin murmured as they walked. The name of the continent was not familiar to him but he could vaguely recall having heard the name before. Eirika's explanation the day before had helped but he would need to look at a map to familiarize himself more the layout of the land.

They walked along in silence until Seth halted their advance. His eyes narrowed and he scanned the area before focusing on the road in front of him.

In the distance seemed to be a man running towards them. His body language showed the man to be in some sort of panic. As soon as he saw them his gaze focused on their party and he seemed to move faster.

Robin slowly removed his tome from his pocket and readied it in case the man was an enemy. Off to the side he saw Seth tense up and his hand drift towards his scabbard.

"Please help!" The man yelled to them when he got within shouting distance, waving his hands frantically.

The man arrived in front of them shortly after and put his hands on his knees while he drew deep breaths.

Eirika moved forward and bent slightly to address the man. "What's seems to be the matter?"

"We're being attacked! Grado soldiers came through this morning and captured our lady Tana!"

"Tana!" Eirika gasped and turned to Seth. "We have to save her!"

"Who is Tana?" Robin asked.

"She is the princess of Frelia." Seth replied grimly. "If Grado manages to bring her with them she would be an excellent hostage."

"Tana and I grew up together and she is a dear friend. We have to do something!" Eirika said.

Robin's face grew determined and he nodded his acceptance, "Then we have to save her."

"Thank you Robin." Eirika said with relief in her voice and turned back to the man. "How many soldiers did you see?"

"I counted around a dozen soldiers and their leader. There could be more however." The man replied, no longer out of breath.

"We'll take care of things then. Please get somewhere safe." Eirika said.

"Oh thank you so much!" The man said as he bowed multiple times. He then faced the road they had come from and continued running.

Eirika then turned to her companions and nodded before taking off down the road at a run.

* * *

They hid behind a small hill as they surveyed the land below. Four soldiers were stationed at the road below which lead towards castle Mulan. There were houses along the road but they seemed to be untouched for the moment, their occupants most likely hiding within. The soldiers seemed to be on the lookout for anyone that would challenge them.

Robin retreated from his prone position at the top of the hill and walked back towards Seth and Eirika further below. They were unseen for now.

"There are four soldiers guarding the road. Most likely an advanced party to scout for anyone coming up the road." Robin said.

"If there are only four soldiers we should not have any difficulty defeating them, especially with your magic." Seth replied.

"A frontal assault would probably work but we should still use our element of surprise against them." Robin said.

"Agreed." Seth said.

"I'll get to the top of the hill and start raining down spells on them. If one of them gets close I'll need you to engage him." Robin said to Eirika. She nodded in reply.

He then looked to Seth. "When they try to make their way towards Eirika and I, we'll need you to charge them from behind. With any luck they will be too surprised to properly engage us."

"Understood, I think that's a good plan." Seth said. "I'll wait for you to begin your attack."

Seth made his way below the hill on the other side of the enemies and waited for Robin to begin.

Robin moved to the top of the hill where he would be seen if they were to look in his direction. Eirika stood by him ready to intercept any enemies that came his way, rapier in hand. He readied his spell just as the soldiers below began to turn towards him.

The soldiers saw him just as Robin finished charging his spell and began to rain wind magic down on to their position.

One of the soldiers was caught in a spell and blown down into the ground. He was only wounded however, so he stood back up and continued his advance, albeit at a slower pace. The other soldier managed to get close to Robin before Eirika intercepted him.

She couldn't fully block the large axe the soldier carried dude to its size but she managed to redirect it before managing to get in two quick strikes of her own. The hits were non vital but she managed a hit to the leg of the soldier and his arm which weakened his offensive ability.

The soldier that had been hit earlier was once again blown off his feet by a gust of wind but this time he did not get back up. There were two more soldiers coming their way up the hill and it was then that Seth moved to attack.

Behind the soldiers came a galloping horse that collided with the remaining men from behind, knocking them to the ground. Robin followed the attack up with another round of magic which seemed to disable one of the men.

Seth and Eirika quickly finished up their foes and soon the battlefield was silent.

Eirika moved away from her downed foe and walked down the hill towards Seth. Robin likewise did the same.

"Everybody alright?" Robin asked when the group came together again.

"I'm fine Robin." Eirika replied.

"I as well." Seth said.

"We should head towards the cas-" Robin began but stopped when they heard the sound of shouts and combat in the near distance.

Could the Frelian army have arrived to take back the castle? Robin turned to his companions, nodded and took off towards the sound.

Minutes later they arrived to find a pair of soldiers, one on horseback and the other in heavy armor, surrounded by Grado soldiers near the gates of the castle.

"That's Franz!" Seth quickly blurted out when they stopped to survey the situation. "We have to assist them!"

"Let's move then! I'll engage them from afar while you two advance, hopefully that will get their attention and allow those two to gain ground." Robin said as he charged up his magic and let loose on the enemies.

A soldier was clipped on his side by a gust of wind but remained standing. The soldier turned to face where the attack had come from and saw three people coming up from their flank. He quickly alerted his companions and three of them broke off to engage.

"Franz! We've come to assist." Seth yelled to the pair and crashed into one of the enemy soldiers, knocking him to the ground.

"Glad you came, the name's Gilliam." The man in heavy armor replied as he took a glancing blow from an axe to his armor that left him no worse for wear. He followed up the attack with a stab of his lance that caught the enemy soldier in his stomach, bringing him down.

The entrance of Eirika and her companions were too much for the surprised soldiers and they were brought down shortly after. Eirika sheathed her blade and looked up the road to see Robin walking towards them.

"Thank the stars you arrived when you did Seth," Franz said, sheathing his sword.

Seth looked down the road towards the castle. It did not look as though there was anyone manning the walls so the enemy soldiers may not have seen them yet.

"I'm glad we could make it," Seth said and then gestured towards the castle. "Do you know of the current situation with lady Tana?"

"Aye, she has been captured by Grado soldiers and is being held by their commander in the castle," Gilliam piped up.

"We attempted to mount a rescue but were forced to retreat when we realized we were outnumbered. They managed to catch up to us though and you know the rest," Franz continued and then noticed as Robin sidled up beside them.

Eirika gestured to the newcomer, "This is our friend Robin, he is a magician we met on the way here, we have been immensely grateful for his help," Eirika said at Franz and Gilliams curious looks.

"Hello, I'm glad to meet you," Robin said.

"Did you happen to see how many soldiers were within the castle?" Seth asked.

"There were at least a dozen of them within the courtyard," Franz said.

"That may be difficult to assault, especially if they hold us at the gate," Seth replied gravely.

"If I may speak up for a moment." Robin said.

"Please do Robin, if you have a plan we'd love to hear it." Eirika said.

He gestured to his tome before speaking. "With my magic I have some range on them. I may be able to cast from afar and possibly lure them out into the open." He gestured to Gilliam and Franz, "With sir Gilliams heavy armor and Franz's quickness we should be able to handle any soldiers with my range as support. "

He then looked to Seth and Eirika next, "We will need to move quickly so they don't think to use the princess as a hostage. You two can then run in and take care of any soldiers that remain once I've lured them out."

Gilliam gave a loud laugh once Robin finished talking. "It's risky, but I like it!"

"We need to hurry before they hurt Tana," Eirika said worriedly.

"Let's move then, I'll try to lure them out to the south of the gate and you two will enter through the east."

They hurriedly got into position with Robin approaching the gate tome in hand. Eirika hid behind a large tree and peeked her head out to watch. Seth was further down so that he could avoid being spotted.

As Robin approached the gate he saw six guards standing guard at the large gate. They soon spotted him and shouted at him to halt and to state his identity. Robin didn't reply and instead used that time to fire off two blasts of wind which knocked a soldier to the ground and wounded another. He then took off quickly when they started running after him, leaving the gate unmanned. He just hoped there wasn't too many inside.

Soon he made it to where Franz and Gilliam were waiting, ready to engage. He ran past Gilliams hulking form and positioned himself behind the man and began to take more careful aim at the incoming soldiers. He was surprised at how he felt only mildly fatigued with the fighting they had been doing. It was as if his body was familiar with the stress of combat.

One of the soldiers attempted to run past Gilliam but he quickly put an end to that idea with a sharp stab of his spear which took down a foe. Another soldier was brought down Franz crashed into them from behind. Surrounded and with a large armored foe they couldn't get past, the remaining soldiers fell quickly with minimal injuries on their end.

They quickly ran back towards the gate after they had dealt with the soldiers and found Seth squaring off against three enemy soldiers, while Eirika faced the largest looking man who held a gruesome axe.

"You guys go help Seth, I'll go assist Eirika," Robin yelled as he ran towards Eirika. It did not seem as though she had been injured and the man did not seem to be able to catch up to her superior quickness but he could see that she was tiring quick. All that would be needed to take her down was one good hit.

Robin's hand moving unconsciously to his waist and attempted to pull at a weapon that didn't seem to be there. He quickly glanced at his hand before speeding up towards the large man, he would try to get close as he didn't want to catch Eirika in his spell accidentally.

The man's attention was focused on Eirika so he didn't see Robin barrel into him with his shoulder, knocking him off balance and allowing Eirika to stab him through the heart, ending him.

"Thank you for that Robin," Eirika said gratefully, "I was unsure how I would have defeated him if you hadn't arrived. It seems as though we're making a habit of you coming to the rescue."

Robin blushed slightly at her comment. "Glad to be of service."

The rest of the battle seemed to be over with and as Robin looked around he saw that Seth and the others were now heading towards them.

"We should go search for lady Tana." Seth said, "I'll head down to the dungeons and you can search the upper floors."

The four of them nodded and they set off to search for the princess. Robin went with Eirika to search while Franz and Gilliam went together.

They found Tana locked into a bedroom which was barred by chairs and other furniture. It took them some time to move it out of the way but eventually they were able to pry open the door.

"Tana! I'm so glad to see you. Are you ok?" Eirika said frantically.

"I'm alright Eirika. Oh I was so worried for you and wondered if you were ok!" Tana replied, taking Eirika's hands into hers. She then noticed Robin off to the side who had remained silent after freeing Tana from her makeshift prison. "Who might you be?"

Robin face took on a nervous smile and his hand went to the back of his head. "My name is Robin, I'm a friend of Eirika." He turned to Eirika and addressed her. "I'll let the others know that we found the princess. We'll meet you in the courtyard"

"Oh yes please!" Eirika said.

He quickly took off, not wanting to intrude on a reunion between friends. He heard footsteps on the floors below and soon found Franz and Gilliam. They were glad to know that the princess was found and headed towards the courtyard to wait.

Robin then took off towards the lower parts of the castle where the dungeon was and found Seth moving through the halls. He told Seth that the princess was found and that they would be waiting in the courtyard.

They didn't have to wait long before the two princesses made their appearance and cheers all around were exchanged for their successful rescue.

Robin felt slightly out of place as he didn't really know anyone, so he mostly kept quiet to himself.

They decided to move towards the Frelian capital before Grado reinforcements arrived. What supplies that they could scavenge from the castle was taken with them and they loaded what to could on to the horse saddles and then they were off.

Steady progress was made as they headed north with Seth and Franz taking the lead and Gilliam in the back as their rear flank. They kept a lookout for any enemies that they may come across but luckily did not run into trouble.

Eirika and Tana talked to themselves in low voices so as to not draw attention while the rest of them remained vigilant and aware. If Grado had made it to Mulan they could possibly have made it further north.

They set up camp that night as it got dark. They were few hours from the capital and would make it there in the morning. Camp was set up away from the main road and fires were kept low so they would not draw any unwanted attention. The two princesses were given a tent to share, which they had managed to scavenge from the castle before they left.

"You did good out there Robin," Gilliam said to Robin as they sat around the campfire. "You look like a scholar but you hold yourself like a soldier in combat. Do you have any military experience?"

"I can't say that I have any memory of it," Robin said sheepishly while rubbing his hands in front of the fire. The night wasn't too cold but still enough that he needed to sit in from of the fire to stay comfortable.

"Well you certainly seemed familiar with the battlefield. I've seen many rookies get scared and lose their wits out on the battlefield during combat. You didn't, maybe you're some sort of natural."

Robin shrugged but didn't answer.

"How did you meet Seth and Eirika?" Franz asked.

"We met on the road to Mulan from Renais. They were being attacked by Grado soldiers during their escape and I just lent a hand. They wouldn't have needed the help but I didn't want to just sit by and let it happen."

"That's brave of you. Most people wouldn't stick out their necks that way, especially if their lives are to be put on the line."

"I just thought it was the right thing to do," Robin said.

They continued on into the night trading stories with Robin mostly listening until Seth relieved them from the night watch. Robin laid down near the fire and used his coat as a makeshift pillow. Luckily the night was slightly warm and he was next to the fire so he did not get overly cold. He hoped that they would be able to get a tent for all of them but they would have to make due for now.

The night passed without anything happening and they resumed their march towards the Frelian capital. It was a few hours later that they were met by a contingent of soldiers wearing the colors of Frelia. They quickly noticed their princess and sir Gilliam escorting her and whisked her and their party away to meet her father.

They did not wait long before the king allowed them into the throne room to welcome his daughter and Eirika. Robin watched with his back to a pillar as the king tried to convince Eirika to stay and wait out the war.

He saw the look of despair cross her face when the king told her that her father had not made it and that her twin brother was missing. Robin wondered if there was anyone out there that could be looking for him. In the face of all of her ordeals, Eirika did not lose hope but seemed to gain more determination, he admired her for that.

Eirika would not back down and eventually the King acquiesced to her request. He could not spare her soldiers due to needing to defend his own borders but he promised to provide her with any help that he could.

He bade them to stay in the castle overnight while he prepared them with supplies that they would need for their journey. Much as he wished Eirika would not leave the safety of the castle he would not leave her with no help.

They were given rooms that night in the castle all near each other. Robin sat on the bed wondering what he should do now. When he had first met Eirika and Seth they had said he may be able to settle here if he wanted. In the flurry of events since they came he had not had chance to speak with Eirika on what he should do.

A knock at his door broke his line of thought and he slowly got up and padded over to it and opened it. He found Eirika there, a soft smile on her face.

"May I speak with you Robin?" Eirika asked.

"Of course, one moment." Robin opened the door fully and stepped out into the hallway with Eirika. They walked along the corridor in silence until they got to a balcony that faced out into the horizon. Robin leaned up against the railing and looked outward.

"I'm sorry we haven't been able to talk much," Eirika began after a moment. She also stood against the railing not far from Robin.

"It's understandable with everything that has happened, I didn't take offense," Robin said.

Eirika was silent after that and she looked as if she was uncertain about her next words.

"I really appreciated all that you've done to help so far Robin. I don't think things would have gone as smoothly without your assistance. Your magic and plan to take the castle was wonderful."

Robin felt shyness creep up at her praise and his hand rose up to rub the back of his head. "It was nothing really, just some simple strategies really."

"Simple as they were, they made the fights go much better than I would have planned. I would probably just have tried a frontal assault and gotten us all hurt in the process." Eirika's cheeks blushed red at her honest evaluation of her tactics.

"I think you should give yourself more credit then that. You have a natural talent for combat."

"Thank you for that Robin, you yourself seemed to do fine in the battles that we experienced so far, could you have been a soldier before you lost your memories?"

"It's certainly possible that I could have been, maybe I was a tactician for a grand army!" Robin joked. Though with how quickly he acclimated to fighting and the book he found his person when he woke up, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility he supposed.

"Wouldn't that be wonderful. I can definitely see you being a tactician of some kind. You're able to keep your cool in battle and you have your magic to keep you out of danger while you assess the battlefield."

Robin chuckled at that but didn't say anymore. There as a lull in the conversation after that but it didn't feel like they were quite done. Eirika seemed to have something more to say. Robin stayed quiet and let her gather her thoughts.

"What are you plans now that we've reached Frelia?" Eirika began, seemingly after some deliberation, "If you would like I could ask King Hayden if he has a position open for a mage, or maybe even some work he could think of within the castle, or a village that would need someone like you, or even a pos-"

"Actually, if it's all the same to you." Robin interrupted her, "I'd be very happy if you'd let me stay on and help you."

There was a blush on both of their cheeks. Eirika from her rushed monologue and Robin for his interruption. A smile slowly bloomed into existence on Eirika's face at his words.

He wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to do in the future but he knew for sure that he didn't want to abandon Eirika. There wasn't much else he knew about with his memory loss so the least he could do was help out if he had the means to do so.

"I would be grateful if you continued to travel with us Robin." Eirika said with some emotion in her voice. "It will be dangerous though, surely you'd like to stay away from the war."

"I know of your quest and I can't just sit by and let others suffer while I have the power to lend a hand. We'll take back your kingdom and then maybe you could grant me some small plot of land to farm on maybe as thanks, haha." Robin chuckled at that.

"I'd be happy to grant you a much larger boon if we succeed in our quest but a small bit of land wouldn't be out of the question. Eirika beamed.

They stayed for a few minutes more before Eirika stood up from her position on the railing.

"Well I think I'd better head to bed, we have a long day tomorrow."

"I think I'll stay here for just a moment longer. Good night Eirika."

"Good night to you too Robin."

Eirika turned to walk back down the corridor to her chambers, Robin watched her for a moment before turning back to the night sky.

* * *

Robin awoke early the next day. After talking with Eirika he went to bed not long after. He was given a meal by some servants and then told to meet the rest of his party in the throne room once he was finished.

He quickly ate the basic but nutritious breakfast of sausage, eggs and fruit before he made his way to the throne room. Being late would look bad after all. He needn't have worried though as the only people who seemed to be in the room were Eirika and Seth.

"Good morning," Robin said as he walked up to the pair.

"Good morning Robin, I hope your sleep was pleasant," Eirika said.

"Morning," Seth added.

"The others should be here soon, I believe King Hayden is arranging some things for our journey," Eirika said.

"I heard you would be joining us Robin." Seth addressed Robin and put a hand on his shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Your magic will be a great help in the battles to come."

"It's nothing Seth, just glad to help." Robin smiled at him, which Seth returned.

Slowly the rest of the party trickled in, Franz, Gilliam Tana and finally King Hayden and his knight escort. King Hayden gave a nod to them as he made his way to his throne and sat upon it, Tana stood at his side. He then motioned for Eirika to stand before him.

Eirika strode her way to the front of the throne, bowed and then waited for King Hayden to address her.

"Is there nothing I can do to dissuade you from this action, Eirika?" King Hayden asked gravely. "I ask you one last time for your father's sake."

"No King Hayden, I must find my brother and help my people. I cannot sit by while Grado ravages my lands and terrorizes my people."

"Very well then." He sighed, "I have arranged for some help on your quest. I cannot give you soldiers as we will be marching to defend ourselves from Grado but I can lend you the assistance of my vassals.

He motioned for Gilliam and two others to stand beside Eirika, "These are my vassals, Gilliam whom you already met, Moulder and Vanessa." He looked to the three, "You will serve Princess Eirika and obey her orders as if I had given them myself, do you understand?"

"Yes my liege," the trio said in unison.

"Good." He turned back to Eirika after he finished addressing them, "These are some of my most trusted and stalwart vassals, I know they will prove valuable on your journey. I have also called for a merchant to provision you and carry your supplies on your journey. He will be arriving any moment."

The doors of the throne room opened right after he said that and in walked two people, an older looking man and a woman. They strode up to the throne and bowed low before they stood back up to address the king.

"I have answered you summons my lord," the man said.

"Good, I don't believe I am familiar with this woman, who is she?" King Hayden asked the man.

"Ah this here is Anna, she is one of my suppliers and a good friend of mine. We were in the middle of some business before your summons and I asked her to come with me. She hails all the way from the land of Ylisse."

"I am honored to be able to meet you." The woman called Anna said as she bowed low.

"You are welcome in my kingdom." He said to her before turning back to the merchant. "Now onto the business for which I summoned you."

Anna took that as a dismissal and stepped off to the size. The woman looked around the hall as the man talked with the king. Her eyes lazily drifted to each person as if studying them and not finding anything of interest, until she caught sight of Robin and her eyes widened in disbelief.

The woman named Anna stared at him seemingly shocked by what she saw. Her gaze did not shift for what seemed like minutes. He began to feel slightly self conscious and began looking over himself to see what was wrong, then the woman spoke.

"R-Robin what in the world are you doing here!?" Anna said incredulously as she ran over to his spot by the pillar to speak with him.

Starled at her outburst he opened his mouth but no words seemed to come out. He wondered if this woman knew him from before he lost his memories. Maybe they had been friends or acquaintances. He quickly gathered his thoughts, "I'm sorry miss do I know you?"

"Robin don't you remember me? The lovable merchant Anna!" Anna spread her arms wide as she introduced herself. When she saw that no recognition pop into Robin's face she dropped them and instead raised a hand to her face. "Don't tell me it happened again!"

"What do you mean by happened again?" Robin asked, now bewildered.

By now everyone in the throne room had gone silent and were paying attention to what was happening between the two.

"I don't believe I have ever met that man over there. Is he a vassal of yours Eirika?" The king asked her.

"Oh that is my friend Robin, your highness. We met on the road to Frelia, he lent us a hand and has been with us since then. He is a skilled magician and plans to come with us on our journey."

"Robin…" The king muttered and eyed Robin as if trying to remember something.

Eirika then walked over to the pair as they spoke to each other. If this person knew Robin maybe she could help him regain his memories or she knew of his family.

"Hah! Wait til Chrom hears about this. Robin's lost his memory again and I was the one to find him. Hmmm maybe I can charge him for the information somehow. A finders fee if you will" Anna rubbed her hands together in glee.

"I don't really know what or who you're talking about miss Anna." Robin said, confused at how the situation was progressing.

"Excuse me miss, how do you know Robin?" Eirika asked when she reached them.

Anna seemed to snap out of her daze and looked at Eirika, "Sorry about that, sometimes I tend to go off on a tangent. As to how I know Robin, we fought together in Valm."

"Oh? Were you a part of one of the countries that had been conquered?" King Hayden asked having made his way to where the commotion was happening.

"We were actually part of the liberation force. We're members of the Shepherds, maybe you've heard of us?" Anna boasted proudly with her hands on her hips and a wide smile.

King Hayden's eyes widened at her proclamation, clearly recognizing the name.

Eirika vaguely remembered her brother telling her about the Shepherds of Ylisse. An elite group of soldiers who had never lost a single battle. They were integral in liberating Valm from Walhart the Conqueror and were lead by Chrom the exalt of Ylisse and their Grandmaster who was said to have been a brilliant tactician and a key player in all of their victories. Her brother had much admiration for Grandmaster of Ylisse. And Robin seemed to be a member of that prestigious group.

"I have heard of that group. It's been said that every member of the group was an elite warrior, unmatched in combat. And you say you two were a part of it?" King Hayden asked.

"Why of course. I was not only the best thief in the group but also supplied them with all of their weaponry and merchandise." Anna boasted.

"And Robin?" Eirika said curiously.

Anna grinned widely at her question then walked next to Robin, put her hand on his shoulder and faced the room as if to present him, "May I introduce you to Robin..." Anna trailed off. "The Liberator of Valm, The Master Tactician, and Grandmaster of Ylisse..."

The people around the room took a moment to take in her words before recognition seemed to dawn on their faces.

None of those titles sounded at all familiar to Robin but it seemed as if the people in the room were familiar with them. Even the king himself seemed at a loss for words at the revelation. Surely there was no way he was the person they were talking about.

Robin wondered just who he was before he lost his memories.


	3. Chapter 3

Robin stood at the rampart looking down as the soldiers in the courtyard prepared. Some were packing up weapons and supplies on to wagons and others trained for the coming conflict. Every now and then some would look up to him with what he could only describe as awe. As if he had done something noteworthy.

Word had spread quickly about his identity and it seemed as though people had started to treat him differently. Where before he was a nameless face and vassal of Eirika, now he was a renown tactician. Eirika seemed to look at him with a bit of sadness now, which he didn't understand.

The king had given them leave to get ready for their departure. He had not made any overtures toward him and had not asked about his supposed past. Even if he was a master tactician, Frelia had its own leaders and command structure. With a war already on their doorstep, changing that would be inadvisable.

"I know it's a little hard to believe but that's really who you are." Anna said from off to the side. "You and I are comrades who have fought many battles together."

He remained silent at her words. She seemed very sure of herself and it would explain some things such as his combat ability and his calm in the face of battle.

"Won't you consider coming back to Ylisse with me?" She asked almost pleading.

Robin considered her words. Could he go to this land that he knew nothing about, and with someone who was basically a stranger. She didn't seem to have bad intentions and he could tell she was sincere. Anna for all his doubts was a good person.

"I don't really know anything right now Anna." Robin finally said to her, "Everyone I meet is a stranger and I know nothing about these lands."

"Then you should come back with me and maybe seeing familiar things will help you remember."

Her words made sense to him, if he was the person she said he was, familiar sights and people could help his memory. The thought of leaving pained him however.

They had only known each other for a short while but he had bonded with the people here. The struggles they were going through now and in the future weighed on his mind. He wanted to help in any way he could. He couldn't just run away because it was dangerous.

"I like to think…" Robin began slowly, "That the Robin you knew wouldn't just sit back a let a tyrant terrorize the people of this land. Didn't you say I helped lead a force to free Valm?"

"That was different though. You had an army at your back and elite soldiers with you. What you'll be going into enemy territory with is basically a guerilla force." Anna sighed, even after her words she just saw the look of determination on his face. She remained silent for a few moments before she spoke again, "You're right though."

"About what?" He asked curiously.

"The Robin I know wouldn't let this kind of injustice stand, he would fight even if he were alone and do everything he could to help. That's why everyone around you trusted you so much and loved you."

"It's just the right thing to do." Robin blushed at her words.

Anna sighed heavily, "Do the names Chrom and Morgan mean anything to you?"

He only had a moment of unfamiliarity before he was overcome with a rush of emotions. Happiness, trust, joy, sadness and love. The desire to see them again felt heavy in his heart.

Anna saw the emotions flit through his face and sighed again, "I won't try to dissuade you from this but they will want to know where you are." Anna made to leave and walk down the steps of the wall.

Before she left Robin spoke, "Will they… want to see me again?"

Anna's face blossomed into a beautiful smile, "They have been looking for you for two years. Once they know that you're alive they will be overjoyed." She finished before continuing down the steps.

Robin watched her go and finally disappear from view. It wasn't long however before he heard another set of footsteps coming up the wall.

"Eirika…" He whispered when he saw her.

She walked slowly to him. A sad smile on her face, a look of inevitable regret.

Eirika leaned on the rampart next to him and looked at him.

"I take it you will be leaving?" Eirika asked sadly.

He was surprised at her question. It made sense that she assumed that though, any person who had lost what he had would probably jump at the opportunity to find what they had lost.

Robin gave her a small smile before replying, "I will stay with you."

Eirika's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a wordless gesture. It was a few moments before she found her voice, "B-b-but you can't stay! You've found your people. Those who would help you, you barely know us." She sputtered.

His smile grew wider. "I want to help, and if I really am this Grandmaster I may even be of some use." Robin chuckled.

A wide smile appeared on Eirika's face.

"I would love it if you'd come with us," Eirika said shyly, "B-but only if you really want to."

He smiled back at her, "I do."

"Then we'll be leaving soon for the road I believe. Seth has mapped a route for us. Will you be staying up here for longer?"

Robin shook his head and pushed off the castle wall, "No I think I'm done here, I'll walk down with you."

They walked down the ramparts together in silence. Robin for his part felt glad that he would be going with Eirika. As much as he wanted to discover his true identity he felt that it was much more important he stay here.

When they got to the bottom of the wall he saw a figure walking towards them. He turned to Eirika and she stopped at his movement, "I'm going to say goodbye to Anna before we leave."

"Of course Robin, I will meet you at the wagon?" Eirika asked shyly.

Robin nodded his head and they parted. He started walking towards the merchant and saw that she carried a small pack in her hand. "If you're planning on doing this you'll need this."

She handed him three tomes, "Those are your basic fire, wind, and lighting spells. I didn't have any of your more powerful ones on hand, wasn't expecting to find you here but those should do for now. I noticed your wind tome was running low so I thought I'd replenish that for you."

"Thank you Anna, I really appreciate it." He said, stuffing the tomes into the various pockets on his coat. Useful coat this was, so many pockets.

"That'll be twenty-gold." Anna said while holding out her hand to him a stern look on her face.

"Um… Can I pay you back?" Robin replied sheepishly.

Anna burst out into laughter at his comment. "I'm just messing with you. I wouldn't do that to a friend. I'll just put it on Chrom's tab, I'm sure he won't mind."

He hoped that she was joking but he accepted it gratefully nonetheless.

"There's also this," Anna said pulling out what looked to be a steel longsword.

Robin eyed the weapon critically, "Aren't I a mage? And supposedly a tactician? Will I even know how to use that?"

Anna burst out into laughter at his skepticism, "Ya I remember telling you the same thing back when we first met. Trust me though, you'll want it."

He took the sword in his hand and marveled when the feeling of familiarity sudden washed over him. Taking his tome out in his left he was amazed at how right it felt to him. Maybe Anna had a point he thought, taking a couple practice swings in the air.

Even if Anna seemed to imply that he would know how to use it, he had no memory of it. He went to sheath his sword and found that his belt carried a holder for the scabbard. This robe really did have everything he needed.

Anna stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around him then. Startled he wasn't really sure what to do but tentatively hugged the young woman back eventually.

"You stay safe out here. I know you're just doing what's right but there are people out there who need you alive, whether you remember them or not."

He nodded at her, touched by her words, "I'll do my best."

Anna gently pried her arms from around him and stepped back. "I'll see you later Robin and maybe I'll bring some friends with me," she winked at him and gave him a broad smile.

Robin watched her move off to a horse that had been readied for her. She swung her legs over it, gave him one last look and then took off. She had said she would be reporting news of him to someone and that they would be very interested to know where he was.

He shrugged his shoulders. It would be something he would deal with later, if he made it through this ordeal. For now he would focus on finding Eirika's brother and then liberating her people. He then moved to the small wagon that the group seemed to be gathering around.

Eirika spotted him and moved towards him at a slow run.

"Robin! Are you finished? We're about ready to leave now."

"Yes I'm ready." He smiled.

* * *

Eirika spoke to Tana briefly before they left, Eirika wishing that they see each other again and Tana hoping Eirika stay safe and to find Ephraim. Eirika, Robin, Gilliam and Moulder would ride in the wagon that would be handled by the merchant they were going to be traveling with. Seth, Franz and Vanessa would ride along on their mounts during the trip.

Robin sat in a corner of the wagon where he had managed to scrounge up a map that had been packed along with the other supplies Anna had given him. He studied the map hoping to glean any information that would be useful on their journey. Things such as landmarks and potential locations they would have to fight at. The map seemed to have a lot of detail put into it, which he appreciated.

He looked up briefly when he saw Eirika step into the wagon. She smiled at him as she took a seat next to him, which he returned before looking back to the map. He was determined the learn the locations as best as he could, who knows what would happen if he got lost.

They spent the ride in relative silence punctuated by the occasional bump on the road. Nothing of note happened along the journey.

It was hours later when the sun started to set that they stopped to set up camp. Their wagon of supplies thankfully provided tents for everyone available. Robin was thankful they would not have to sleep on the ground anymore.

Seth and Franz were doing some light sparring in a small clearing in their camp. Robin fingered the sword he had been given lightly, turning it over to inspect it. The sword itself wasn't anything of note. The craftsmanship was good and the weapon was balanced. He wondered briefly how he knew these things but chalked it up to his past experience. Since he now knew that he had been a soldier it made sense that he could fight as he did.

He stood up and walked towards an empty area and began to lightly swing the sword to get a feel for it. At first it felt foreign in his hands and swinging it even more but his clunky movements seemed to quickly correct itself as time went on.

"Robin!" said a voice from behind him. He turned to find Eirika close by watching him. His cheeks colored a bit as he realized that she had caught him clumsily swinging the sword.

"Hi Eirika," Robin said somewhat shyly.

"Would you like to spar?" Eirika blurted out, catching Robin off guard. "I'm not very good myself and I lack experience but I would love to train with you."

He nodded, "I'd love to Eirika. I will be at the back in combat for the most part but it would help for when I find myself in unavoidable melee combat.

"Great!" Eirika cheered while she ran to the wagon and quickly grabbed a pair of training swords. She handed one to Robin and took a few steps back away from him and readied her weapon. Robin likewise did the same and positioned his weapon in front of him, sword in one hand. "Are you ready?"

She pointed to a leaf that was gently falling to the ground in front of them. "When the leaf hits the ground we begin." Robin nodded his assent and waited.

He figured he didn't stand much of a chance against Eirika. She had much more practice with the sword than he did. He just hoped he would be able to block a few hits before he was forced to surrender.

They both eyed the leaf as it slowly fell the ground. The moment it did, Eirika leapt into action, going into an impossibly fast forward thrust at his midsection. Robin thought to himself that this must be what Eirika's opponents felt like. It looked as though she were a blur and he had resigned himself to the pain that would follow.

He was surprised then when his hand seemingly moved on his own to expertly parry the thrust away from him and then leaping backward to gain some space.

Eirika seemed surprised at his quickness for a moment before a smile appeared on her face. She attacked again moments later much quicker this time and once again Robin parried and dodged to one side.

It was not as if Robin could see the incoming blow but his body seemed to anticipate her movements and responded appropriately.

Their spar went the same way for the next hour. Eirika would strike at an impossibly quick speed and he would parry. He was much too slow to actually strike her but he made attempts. Likewise it seemed that his predictive abilities prevented Eirika from scoring an actual hit as well. They seemed to be evenly matched.

They finished their spar some time later and sat next to each other in the open field.

"Robin that was great!" Eirika said, "You handled the blade just like an experienced swordsman would and you only got better as we went on."

"Thanks Eirika, I'm not really sure how to explain it. It just felt like my body knew how to move and react."

"Well that makes me feel much better about the battles to come. I know I won't always be able to be by your side, so it gives me peace of mind that you will be able to handle yourself even if enemies come close." Eirika said, a bright smile on her face.

"I just hope I'll be of some help." Robin said, looking around at their various comrades. "Everyone here seems so seasoned and formidable."

"I feel the same way…" Eirika said, "Sometimes I don't feel as if I should be the one leading them. I'm just an inexperienced girl who is in way over her head."

"I think I can understand how you feel. Feeling uncertain and doubtful and not knowing what the right move would be. But you also have to remain strong for the people who look to you for guidance."

"Yes, that's exactly it Robin. Thank you for understanding." Eirika smiled at him.

Robin smiled back at her and then moved to get up. "Maybe we should head back and help set up camp for the day." He said, holding his hand out to her.

Eirika took it and pulled herself off and then dusted herself off. "Yes we should." She replied as they started moving towards the others to help with any preparations for the night.

They set up camp that night away from the road so that they wouldn't be spotted by any Grado scouting parties. The group avoided making a fire so that it would be harder to spot them and set up a rotating shift so they would be alerted of any attacks in the night. Robin and Seth would be the first up for the night.

"I watched your spar with Eirika earlier." Seth commented, "You have a natural aptitude for it. It was as if your body was remembering how to use the weapon.

"You started off almost unsure of your movements and slightly clumsy but you quickly fixed it. I feel as though I watched a person learn years of swordplay in the span of an hour."

"That means a lot Seth." He chuckled, "Hopefully this means I won't be completely useless if an enemy manages to get in close."

Seth laughed in reply at his comment. "You look comfortable handling a blade. I have no doubt you will be fine if that ever happens." He looked over briefly towards Eirika's tent before turning towards him again.

"It was actually quite amazing how you held your own against Eirika in your spar."

"Oh?" Robin replied curiously, "What makes you say that?"

Seth chuckled lightly, "Eirika is actually a prodigy of sorts with the sword. She only started swordsmanship lessons a few years ago under the tutelage of her brother and I.

"She took to it like a fish to water. Eirika is very humble about it all and truly believes I am better than her but she has already surpassed my swordsmanship. She is probably only slightly behind her brother."

Robin was shocked by Seth's comment. He had indeed noticed Eirika's proficiency with the sword and wondered if she had been swinging a sword her whole life. To find that she had not even begun until a few years ago was unheard of. She truly was amazing.

"That's incredible." He smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "Well if I could hold up against Eirika then I shouldn't be too worried about any upcoming battles."

"I agree with you. I am able to keep up with Eirika only due to my vast experience, talentwise she far surpasses me."

They talked more into the night about little things and some of their expectations of the coming battles. Eventually it was time for them to switch off with the next pair. Robin bid everyone goodnight and went off to his tent to rest.

* * *

"I have news!" Vanessa called out as she flew toward them on her pegasus with what looked to be an unconscious boy.

They had started their journey early in the morning. As they were now within enemy occupied territory Vanessa had been flying low to scout out anything that might be of interest. She had flown off earlier when she had seen something and they had waited patiently for her to return.

"What did you find?" Eirika asked when Vanessa landed with the boy and gently laid him to the ground.

Moulder quickly went to work on helping the boy, his staff glowing a soft white as he worked on him.

"I found bandits to the east attacking a village." Vanessa explained. "It was this boy and an older gentleman fighting them off. He asked me to take the boy to safety but he is all alone."

"The bandits are trying to take advantage of the chaos brought on by the war." Seth said.

"We have to help the villagers," Eirika said, then turned to Vanessa, "Go find that man and bring him back here, if he was able to fight the bandits we will need his help."

Vanessa nodded at her order and quickly took off to find the man.

Eirika then turned to Robin and addressed him, "What should we do Robin?"

Robin was startled at her question but knew this wasn't the time to be questioning his identity. Whether or not he was a tactician he felt as though he had some good ideas for the battle to come.

"We should wait for Vanessa to return before we make any moves. For now we should secure the area as we don't know where the bandits will come from."

Eirika nodded at his evaluation of the situation and turned to Seth to carry out the orders. He quickly fanned out with Franz in tow. If they saw anyone they would be able to quickly return to them to report.

Robin, Eirika and the rest would stay near the wagon while they waited. They couldn't afford to have their supplies raided so early into their journey.

It was moments later that they heard the sound of sputtering and a cry of confusion.

They looked over to find that the boy was now sitting up and that Moulder had finished his treatment of him.

"W-where am I?" The boy asked groggily.

Eirika quickly stepped up to the boy and kneeled down so that she was eye level, "You are with my comrades and I. We are a group of travelers that were passing by when one of the friends spotted you unconscious. She took you to our healer and here you are."

"Did you see my father anywhere?" He asked almost frantically after digesting her information. "Him and I were fighting the bandits together but there was so many of them!"

"My friend who found you is looking for him now. Hopefully she can find him and then we can figure out what to do about the rest of the bandits." Eirika soothed, which seemed to calm the boy.

They heard a fluttering of wings a moment later and Vanessa appeared on the horizon with a large burly looking man in tow. She landed next to the boy and the man jumped off. He looked around for a moment before spotting the boy and ran towards him with a look of relief on his face.

"Ross, you're ok!" The man said and knelt down to give the boy a bone crushing hug.

"Yea I'm ok dad, these people helped me."

The man turned to face them and looked to Eirika, "I thank you for saving us both. My name is Garcia."

"It's nice to meet you Garcia, my name is Eirika and we've come to help."

"If you're here to help, you have my axe." Garcia said and lifted up his weapon so that he was holding it in both hands.

"I want to help too!" Ross piped up and sprung to his feet.

"Alright you can help too." Garcia said and placed one hand on the boy's shoulder.

Eirika looked to the two and a smiled at them. She was happy to see such determination even in these troubling times. She then gestured towards Robin, "This is Robin, please be sure to listen to him if he gives an order."

Garcia nodded at her and then looked to Robin, "What's the plan then?"

Robin was surprised at her words but didn't comment on it. He would talk with her about it later, for now he would just give his best opinion on how they should proceed.

"There seem to be some villages nearby that may have information on the bandits in the area. Seth and Franz should go there and try to get any information they have."

The two horsemen took off shortly after his words and made their way to the nearby villages.

"Vanessa, we'll need you in the air to spot out the positions of the bandits. See if you can find them and then report back to us, if you see any archers though be careful."

Vanessa flew in the air after giving her acknowledgment.

"We'll stay here and guard our supplies until they get back."

Eirika moved to stand next to Robin. "These bandits must be trying to take advantage of the situation with Renais and Grado." She said.

"I agree with you. This is not something we can allow to happen. Not while we're here."

"Thank you again Robin for lending us your aid." Eirika said, looking out over the area her blade ready.

"You're welcome." Robin responded and also readied his tome, a spell ready to burst from his fingertips.

"Incoming!" Shouted a voice from the air.

Robin looked out and saw a group of bandits approaching their group.

"Gilliam! We have incoming enemies, get in front of them!" Robin shouted.

Gilliam grunted and then jogged to the front of the bandits stopping their charge. Two broke off to engage him while the rest flow around to fight the rest of them.

Robin began firing out spells to try to slow them down while Eirika began combat with another.

Garcia and Ross were of to the side in their own battle against the bandits. Garcia was fighting three of them at once while Ross provided support from behind with his throwing axes.

One of the bandits seemed to get past the others and get in close to Robin. He cursed and ducked out of the way of the axe and then jumped backwards to gain some distance. He wouldn't be able to use his spells from their close very well so he drew his new blade. There was not enough time to practice with it so real live combat would have to do.

The bandit ran up to him for another swipe of his axe and Robin dodged to the side again. It was at that moment that he wasn't quite sure what happened but his body seemed to move on its own. Opening his book his magic seemed to flow through his body and into his weapon. A spark of lighting erupted as he swung and struck his opponent dead on. The man fell on to the ground limp and did not get up.

Robin was shocked but did not have time to deliberate on it. There were both enemies incoming and the others were still preoccupied. Eirika was wearing her opponent down and seemed to be winning but if he did not stop the reinforcements they may become surrounded.

He swung his sword again, lighting coursing through it and struck down another foe before he moved to another.

Seth and Franz came charging it at that moment and they soon routed the bandits.

"What news do you have."

"There is a bandit camp to the east, they are situated close to the village but that's where their leader and the rest should be." Franz said.

"I met a Grado general by the name of Selen." Seth said gravely, "I don't believe she recognized me as a vassal of Renais so she let me go but she tasked me with destroying the bandits.

"They must not know that we're here." Eirika said worriedly, "Though it is unnerving for them to be so close."

"We'll focus on the battle at hand and think of our options later."

"You're right Robin. What is the plan?"

Robin looked to the east to where the bandits had come from, just over the hill.

"We'll need Vanessa to stay in the air to spot enemies for us. For now I think we should advance and find their camp."

Eirika looked towards Seth and the others and they began to advance. Vanessa took to the air once more. They traveled on the road, not finding any more bandits until they neared the destroyed village.

They found bandits milling about near the village and Robin quickly threw out a spell to take advantage of their range.

"Vanessa use hit and run tactics! They have a weapon advantage on you so stay in the air!"

The bandits were not expecting their group and had little in the way to combat Robin's spells and Vanessa in the air. Seth and Franz ran them down with their horses and Eirika engaged the bandit leader as Robin gave her support.

Whenever she and the leader would separate, Robin would send a dizzying spell his way. Eventually he could no longer fend off both of their attacks and Eirika struck him down.

Their superior tactics and numbers were no match for the bandits and they were quickly defeated and routed. The remaining group ran for the forests as their leader went down. Hopefully that would be the last they would see of them.

They gathered around at the village after their battle to check over their supplies and heal any injuries they might have gotten.

Besides a few scratches and bruises no one seemed to be any worse for wear.

"I thank you for helping and for saving my son." Garcia said bowing to Eirika.

Seth took a moment to scrutinize the man before a look of surprise appeared on his face, "Hold on, are you not the great Garcia from ten years ago?"

Robin stood off to the side while Eirika and Seth attempted to bring Garcia into their party. He understood the desire from the man to stay retired but he also knew that sitting by and doing nothing was worse.

Luckily it seemed as though Ross, his son was able to convince him that they should join the fight to reclaim Renais. He was glad that the boy was so energetic and willing to fight for his country.

And just like that they recruited two more to their cause. Robin thought that they may have a chance yet. They didn't have the numbers to fight Grado but their elite warriors made up for the lack of numbers. Coordinated attacks to key points in the enemy line would suit them well.

He would have to figure out some small unit tactics that they could use.

While they loaded up the wagon with supplies from Garcia's house he looked over the map and tried to gather their next target.

Eirika was off speaking to some of the villagers, promising that they would return for them and that they were sorry they couldn't be more of help at the moment. They seemed to understand and wished them well.

They would travel south a little more while there was still daylight before they would make camp that night. He figured he would walk the rest of the way with the wagon and maybe talk to some of the group. Riding in the wagon all day had made him feel slightly lethargic and he wanted to stretch his legs a bit.

He walked next to Vanessa as she had taken to riding on the ground for now.

"I never thought I would be able to speak to the Grandmaster of Ylisse." Vanessa said to him as they walked.

Robin was unsure of how to answer her, so he simply nodded and gave her a small smile.

"The Ylisse Pegasus Knights even here are renowned for their skills and it was said that you made great use of them during the war."

"The pegasus knights were depleted in the war with Gangrel but had been replenished by the time of the war in Valm." Robin said, reciting some history he had read up on in the wagon. Anna had slipped in some useful books that he could read in the pack she had given him. He was thankful for her at the moment.

"Yes their leader, Cordelia was it? She was a large part of the reason they were able to train up new recruits so quickly." Vanessa said a gleam in her eyes, "I hope I may be able to meet her some day. They say her unmatched flying ability is only matched by her beauty."

A brief flash of red hair appeared in his memories. The woman rode atop a great pegasus, spear in hand as she dove into a crowd of soldiers before gracefully taking to air once again unharmed, her vibrant hair fluttering in the wind.

"Yes she truly was both an amazing fighter and beauty." At least if his brief memory was anything to go by.

He didn't have much of a relationship with the others besides Eirika and Seth so he enjoyed being able to talk to them. If they were be fighting in the future it would be best if they had a good relationship with each other.

"How long have you been a pegasus knight?" Robin inquired.

"I started training from an early age. I trained with lady Tana as we were of similar age. She is a kind soul and it hurts me that she will have to experience this war."

"Yes war has a way of bringing about the worst of situations."

"You would know about that very well wouldn't you."

Robin nodded lightly. Even if he didn't quite remember it he could deduce the kinds of atrocities that could happen in a war.

They talked the rest of the way about little things. Mostly Vanessa talked about how she grew up and her life in the kingdom and Robin listened, not feeling as though he had much to contribute. Camp was set up near the road and Robin decided he would go to bed early as he had volunteered to be a part of the watch mid way.

He felt as if he had only closed his eyes before quickly falling asleep.


End file.
